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Medicine
'''Medicine '''in Thedas plays a key role in the quality of life of its inhabitants, and is vital in a land so torn by conflict. The magical and the mundane both play a role in the healing and management of diseases and injuries. While independent herbalists, apostates and midwivesCodex entry: A Midwife's Journal may practice the healing arts, the only access to any sort of proper care that common people would have is through the Chantry, or one of the Circles of Magi. The visitation of a Circle-approved mage practitioner must be arranged through a Templar. The local chantry provides care for the sick, and members of the clergy may travel to troubled areas in order to provide free relief in the name of charity. With such limited means of care, people of Thedas therefore learn to make do with the healing flora and fauna that they can find around them. Examples are foxmint for a troublesome gut and spindleweed for afflictions of the lungs. Superstition also plays a large part in Thedosian's attitudes towards healing, such as how the removal of a wart requires rubbing the half of a potato on it and feeding potato to a snoufleur, which should take the wart upon itself. Another example of this is in a treatment meant for improving virility, after drinking a tonic from tusket horn the patient is supposed to place the remnants under their pillow. Treatment Mundane Thedosian medical practitioners of the day believe in Humorism. dialogue with Surgeon and a conversation between Varic and Iron Bull Essentially, this theory holds that the mortal body is filled with four basic substances, called humors, which are in balance when a person is healthy. All diseases and disabilities supposedly resulted from an excess or deficit of one of these four humors. These deficits were thought to be caused by vapors inhaled or absorbed by the body. The four humors are black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Treatments from the school of thought are bloodletting and the application of leeches. The bile of Gurgut is thought to balance the humors. Those practicing medicine are also aware of and perform the amputation of limbs.dialogue with Surgeon Magical Mages within the Circle of Magi may choose to specialize in the Creation school of magic. When using Creation magic, a healer is manipulating natural forces to imbue the recipient with restorative energy that is capable of knitting flesh and mending bone. The caster of a Creation spell can also infuse their recipient with beneficial energy that greatly accelerates healing.Creation spells (Origins) Some mages even heighten their healing powers by becoming a Spirit Healer, who casts restoration spells and using the life energy acquired from the benevolent Fade spirits. Combinations of herbs made into potions, especially elfroot, are also used. Mages within the Circle of Magi study alchemy to invent new potions and improve upon ones that already exist. It is unclear whether one needs to be a mage to brew potions or not. A holy artifact to Andrastians is The Urn of Sacred Ashes. The Urn is believed to contain Andraste's ashes which have healing properties strong enough to bring someone back from the brink of death. Diseases and illnesses * Plague - The first symptom of the plague is coughing and paleness, fever following the next day.Codex entry: Gardner Diary Doors of the afflicted marked with a yellow symbol.Dragon Age: The Last Court, see The Fields Blight-touched rats are known to spread the plague.Codex entry: Rat * Blight sickness - contracted through contact with darkspawn, and progresses to the person becoming a Ghoul, though this time varies for everyone. Some people die immediately upon contact with the Taint and some, such as Leliana, are naturally resistant Note: Studies on the Blight. The disease is sometimes referred to as "a plague"Dragon Age: The Calling, Chapters 1,4,6 and 11.Note: Memories Etched in Stone and Blood or "a wasting illness"Dragon Age: The Calling, Chapter 2. * Frost-cough Fourth paragraph of Codex entry: Healer's Notes at Redcliffe Crossroads * DysenterySickness at the Well * Hunger shivers Fifth paragraph of Codex entry: Healer's Notes at Redcliffe Crossroads * Cholera * Ague (malaria) * Common Cold * Wasting Illness - turns the victim gray before they perish Trivia * Pickled eggs are thought of as a sort of cure-all by the people of Ferelden See also * Herbalism Recipes Gallery Haven apothecary.jpg|Haven's apothecary Apoth.jpg|Inside Haven's apothecary References Category:Lore